Tag Archive | travel

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen, by Lucy Knisley (book review) – yummy graphic novel of foodie memories

Jun18

book cover of Relish My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley published by First SecondMom the chef, Dad the gourmet,
Lucy the adventurous eater
(and secret junk food lover).

Memoir, graphic novel, and best-of-best recipes for your delectation fill this yum-worthy tale of artist Lucy Knisley‘s growing-up years in a food-worshiping household.

If reading Relish doesn’t make you want to try your hand at rolling sushi or making your own summer pickles (it’s all drawn there for you in vivid color), well, then you should just page back through and stir up some Carbonara or Mom’s Pesto.

What foods bring back wonderful memories of your younger years?
Have you captured those recipes already?
**kmm

Book info: Relish: My Life in the Kitchen / written and illustrated by Lucy Knisley. First Second Books, 2013.  [author site]  [publisher site]

My book talk: Being raised by food-lovers gives Lucy a unique perspective on all aspects of growing, locating, preparing, and (most of all) enjoying the wonderful eats of the world. Her artistic abilities and touchstone recipes capture these food memories on the page in appetizing color.

Her mom headed up famed NYC emporium Dean and DeLuca’s cheese department while expecting Lucy; that explains much about their shared delight in dairy products. After her parents divorced, the city kid found herself deep in the country as her chef-mother began a gourmet vegetable farm and kicked off area farmers’ markets. The freshness of the produce made up a little for the lack of taxis and take-out, but Lucy did enjoy going back to Manhattan to visit her dad and fine restaurants there (he loved Mom’s cooking, but didn’t ever cook).

Through her growing-up years, Lucy mastered the ultimate chocolate chip cookie as a way to connect with new classmates (and shares her recipe), ate her way through a small Mexican town (oh, Huevos Rancheros!), helped her mom during catering gigs (leftover pesto is great), and headed off to art school in Chicago with her tastebuds ready for foods both familiar and new.

This graphic novel autobiography will whisk readers to far-off places (imagine being allergic to soy in Japan!), peaceful country farms (except for those malicious geese), and eateries large and small as the artist shares her favorite recipes and her lifelong foodie love affair with Relish.  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com) Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

A Corner of White, by Jaclyn Moriarty (book review) – barrier between worlds slips, danger enters

Jun17

US book cover of A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty published by Arthur A Levine BooksColors so strong that they’re living entities,
Skies so gray that they smother all cheerfulness,
One white piece of paper forges a forbidden link between worlds.

Elliot’s family and neighbors try to raise crops in a land where summer could arrive four times in a month or never all year.  Madeleine’s latest attempt to run away from her wealthy parents somehow dragged her mother along, too. Communication between their two worlds is treason in the Kingdom of Cello, unknown by Madeleine’s world… and suddenly happens.

I wish that the US cover (at top right) were more like the original Australian cover (below right) which better reflects the colors and whimsicality of the story (yes, Madeleine wears bright colors to counteract the gray Cambridge weather, but that’s not the real essence of color in the story).

Grab this one today at your local library or independent bookstore to slide through that narrow gap between the Kingdom of Cello and The World – and prepare to be entranced.

Would you dare to communicate with someone if it were forbidden, illegal, necessary for your mental health?
**kmm

Book info: A Corner of White (The Colors of Madeleine, book 1) / Jaclyn Moriarty. Arthur A. Levine Books, 2013.  [author site]  [publisher site]  [author interview video]

My book talk: Separated by a spectral barrier for their own good, The World and the Kingdom of Cello haven’t communicated in 300 years. Yet through a small crevice, a boy and a girl send letters back and forth, perhaps changing both for the better, perhaps setting dire danger into motion.Australian book cover of A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty published by PanMacmillanAustralia

Elliot is ready out again to search for his father who was kidnapped a year ago by the rogue Purple that killed his uncle, while his neighbors anxiously await the Selectors who might choose their town for the Princess Sisters’ tour of the Kingdom. His pal Cody makes all the unrepairable machines from Dad’s shop into a sculpture in the schoolyard, and one day Elliot notices a small note stuck in it, a note that’s not from anyone in Bonfire…

As Mum answers every quiz show question wrong, Madeleine wonders yet again how they came to be here – an attic apartment in a university town, eating baked beans again – when just months ago they were jetsetting around the world with her financier father, platinum credit cards at the ready.

Thank goodness for Jack and Belle and for their home-schooling arrangement, so none of them have to deal with the bullies and drama of high school. Jack’s uncle makes their minds stretch with his assignment to ‘become’ the Cambridge historical figure selected from the hat – that’s Isaac Newton for Mad, Charles Babbage for Belle, Lord Byron for Jack.

As Madeleine muses on Newton and Cambridge, she passes an out-of-service parking meter with a note stuck in it “Help! I’m being held against my will!” and decides to answer it, little imagining that it’s a message from a world that’s been sealed off from ours for over three centuries.

The correspondence between Elliot and Madeleine is interesting, as he knows about The World from history class and she thinks he’s a just local who’s trying a huge hoax. Trying to explain the color attacks and momentary seasons of Cello doesn’t convince her of the Kingdom’s reality, but something finally does.

Why is it so dangerous to have an opening between Cello and The World?
Will the Princess Sisters visit Bonfire once the Butterfly Child arrives?
Would Jack and Belle ever believe Madeleine about Cello?

Escapes and worries, attacks and misunderstandings – so much begins when that corner of white paper crosses the gap from the Kingdom of Cello to Cambridge, England. First in a series that mixes teen concerns with philosophical science, family drama with political intrigue, and what-is-not-now with what-might-someday-be. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com) Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

William and the Lost Spirit, by Gwen de Bonneval and Matthieu Bonhomme (book review) – quest for father trapped in time

Jun16

book cover of William and the Lost Spirit by Gwen de Bonneval, art by Matthieu Bonhomme, published by Graphic UniverseA way-finding goat,
Mythical creatures and legendary people,
Trust your spirit, not your eyes.

Hilane is sure that Father is alive when everyone else thinks he’s dead, and her quest to find him turns into brother William’s odyssey through lands of fable and myth to discover a way to release his spirit from whoever (or whatever) holds it captive.

Brigands and knights and political treachery are all part of this sweeping medieval tale in graphic novel format.

Is their father dead or alive? You’ll have to read William and the Lost Spirit for yourself to find out.

May your Father’s Day be much less-adventurous than William and Hilane’s travels!
**kmm

Book info: William and the Lost Spirit / Gwen de Bonneval; art by Matthieu Bonhomme; translation and commentary by Ann and Owen Smith. Graphic Universe, 2013.   [author Facebook – in French]  [artist biography]  [publisher site]  [book trailer]

My book talk: Bandits roam the French countryside and their widowed mother prepares to wed the seneschal for safety, but William and his sister Hilane still sense their father’s life-force and undertake a treacherous journey to find him.

As the Count’s business manager, the seneschal should have ensured that the knights have the resources to clear the area of bandits, yet somehow the peasants are still being killed or run off. Now that Brifaut is marrying the widow of the Count’s son, he will receive a title and much of the abandoned land. Hilane and William think that their father’s “death” was most suspicious – how can a healer die of unknown poison?

When Hilane runs away before the wedding, William follows, turning to their other-worldly aunt Ysane for clues to her whereabouts and meeting up with a Crusades-experienced knight, a troubadour, and a friendly goat. Ysane says that William’s father is alive in “the Far-Off Lands” and that he’ll be guided on his journey as needed. So off they go, encountering turn-coat knights, fearsome creatures, Prester John of legend, and many perils along the way.

Can William find Hilane before it’s too late?
Will he survive the challenges and bring justice to his grandfather’s land?
Is his father truly alive?

This action-packed French graphic novel includes all three original volumes of William’s adventures, plus extensive commentary by the translators in the US publication.  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com) Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

Being Henry David, by Cal Armistead (book review) – memory gone, called to Walden

Jun11

book cover of Being Henry David by Cal Armistead published by Albert WhitmanNo luggage, no memory,
No memory, no past…
Why? Why did he erase his own memories?

From wherever home was, teenage “Hank” finds himself alone in a train station with only a copy of Henry David Thoreau’s Walden  and knows that he must get to Walden Pond, just as the author did, to discover truth through nature and perhaps find the strength to face his past.

Read an excerpt of the book here as you dive into the story of why a young man abandons his memory and decides that Being Henry David  is much better than being himself.

Can deciding that a memory doesn’t exist change the past?
**kmm

Book info: Being Henry David / Cal Armistead. Albert Whitman, 2013.  [author site]  [publisher site]  [video author interview]

My book talk: Waking up in Penn Station alone, no memories. None. Looking in washroom mirror, he sees a teenage guy with black hair, gray eyes, a big lump on his head. He has ten bucks in his front pocket and a copy of Walden – that’s it. He’ll be Henry David, after its author, until he can remember his own name or past or why he can’t remember…

Another teen rescues him from a homeless guy who wants to eat the book, nicknames him Hank because Henry David is too long, takes him to a hidden place to sleep, and gets him involved with some drug dealers who need more runners. After a knife fight, running seems like an excellent idea, so Jack splits the drug money and Hank gets on the train for Concord, looking for answers at Walden Pond, the only glimmer of memory he’s got.

Thoreau’s cabin site is easy to find, says Hailey, the girl he meets at the station. But Hank can’t understand why there is no cabin at the cabin site, just four rock cornerstones and a slab… cold sleeping tonight, and dreams where Thoreau speaks to him.

Is Thoreau there in the flesh in the morning? No, it’s Thomas, who does historical interpretations at Walden Pond and is the town reference librarian, heavily tattooed and riding a Harley. He shares breakfast with Hank, shares hia appreciation for Thoreau’s vision of a simpler life, but doesn’t pry into Hank’s affairs.

In Concord, Hank scopes out Hailey’s high school as a place to stay over the weekend, trying to avoid the blackness that erupts when he probes his memories. Visiting the town library to read more about Thoreau, Hank passes out as the infected knife wound clobbers his system and Thomas takes him home.

Hank’s fingers remember how to play the guitar – can he help Hailey in the Battle of the Bands?
Thomas suggests checking the missing teens database – can he find himself?
The blackness holding back his memories wavers – can he live with what he remembers?

Whether runaways or kidnapped, lost, strayed or stolen, so many stories of teens gone from home have unhappy endings – read Being Henry David to see if Hank’s story is one of them. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com) Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

Ghost Knight, by Cornelia Funke (book review) – murder long-passed, a knight long-dead, danger now!

Jun7

book cover of Ghost Knight by Cornelia Funke translated by Oliver Latsch published by Little BrownGhostly rider with blood on his sword,
evil sidekicks with murder on their minds,
how many centuries can a death vow stay alive?

Every ancient cathedral and old castle has unexplained deaths in its history, many have ghosts who appear with a bit of regularity, but most don’t feature bloodthirsty murderers’ specters threatening schoolkids in their beds!

Listen to an excerpt of the audiobook version here and be sure to view the book trailer of the author visiting Salisbury Cathedral and reading aloud the section where Jon meets the Ghost Knight  for the very first time.

The paperback version was published in May 2013, so you should be able to find it in several formats at your local library or independent bookstore.

Would you call on a ghost to help you solve a dangerous mystery?
**kmm

Book info:  Ghost Knight / Cornelia Funke.; translated by Oliver Latsch. Little Brown, hardback 2012, paperback 2013.  [author site]  [publisher site]  [book trailer]

My book talk: Boarding school, rain, Mum in love with a dentist – Jon thought life couldn’t get worse…until he’s threatened by ghosts who can injure him, meets a girl with an adventurous streak, and invokes a dead knight to right the wrongs!

It definitely wasn’t Jon’s idea to attend the same boarding school as his late father, but after his many attempts to make his mother fall out of love with The Beard (as Jon called the dentist who tricked his little sisters and dog into liking him) all backfired, the 11-year-old found himself on the train to Salisbury. He doesn’t care about the ancient city’s history that his houseparents love and doesn’t care that he wasn’t selected for the cathedral school’s famous choir.

But the ghosts whispering threats about killing him, trying to ride him down on ghostly horses – those are another matter! Ella at school takes Jon to visit her grandmother who gives ghost tours. They discover that Lord Stourton and his henchmen were hanged for the death of Jon’s relatives centuries ago, vowing revenge. Zelda says Jon is in danger if he stays here, but he doesn’t want to go home to Mum and The Beard.

So Jon calls on the knight Longspee who originally captured Stourton, asking the ghost knight to help him rid the school of these wicked specters and save him from their vengeance.

Can Jon and Ella trust Longspee who wants to stay away from this world?
Can the trio truly send Stourton and crew back to their graves forever?
Can Jon find any way to keep The Beard from becoming his stepfather?

Through Latsch’s flowing translation, the noted German fantasy author of the Inkspell trilogy brings readers into the echoing aisles of Salisbury Cathedral and the windswept ruins of old castles as Jon and Ella fight enemies they cannot touch with mortal hands. (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com) Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

School Spirits, by Rachel Hawkins (book review) – ghost-hunting ain’t for amateurs!

Jun3

book cover of School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins published by HyperionMonster sighted? Check.
Banishment strategy selected? Check.
Ready to walk into high school? No way!

Of course, home-schooling makes sense when your family is frequently traveling to hunt and eliminate otherworldly baddies, but none of her martial arts training prepared practical Izzy for her first major undercover assignment – locate and banish a high-school-based ghost with a grudge!

Makeup, clothes not suitable for stalking in the shadows, a hedgehog mascot for the basketball team …  and very, very attentive boys? Hope Izzy can corner Mary Evans’ ghost during the right moon phase and get out of Ideal, Mississippi in a hurry!

Grab this serious/not-so-serious ghost-trapper tale today at your local library  or independent bookstore, first in new series by Hex Hall author Rachel Hawkins.

Which ghosts of high school would you banish forever?
**kmm

Book info: School Spirits / Rachel Hawkins. Hyperion, 2013.   [author site]  [publisher site] Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.

My book talk: Being a Brannick means hunting down supernatural monsters – it’s the family business. When her big sister Finley disappears before Izzy’s training is complete, the teen finds herself walking into high school for the first time, ready to fight an avenging ghost, but so unprepared for cliques, cute boys, and pep rallies.

A science teacher was nearly killed in his lab with the door locked from the inside, and sightings of the school namesake’s ghost have been reported for the first time in years. So homeschooled Izzy is tapped to infiltrate Mary Evans High School to eliminate the ghost.

One official school club in this small Mississippi town is the Paranormal Management Society, with 3 members, all considered weird by other students. Mom always says that “civilians” who think they can take on the Prodigium make supernatural situations worse; hopefully, Izzy can nab the ghost without involving Romy, Anderson, or Dex.

Ah, Dex, who seems to be Prodigium himself, might have a crush on Izzy? She and Torin (the spirit living in Brannick mirrors for past 400 years) watch many movies and television shows about high school life, trying to get a handle on how to cope with boys who ask for phone numbers and girls who are mean and teachers who just don’t have a clue.

A mangled Barbie doll on the head cheerleader’s locker mimics the dead frog found on the science teacher’s door before he was attacked. Mary Evans appears to Izzy and is much more powerful than a ghost should be. Even after Izzy seals the ghost girl’s grave, Mary steers a speeding car into a crowd at school!

Who or what has augmented Mary Evans’ powers?
How can Izzy banish the ghost when normal techniques fail?
Why can’t she shake the feeling that Dex isn’t who he seems to be?

Vengeful, deadly, tied to high school forever – this paranormal opponent forces Izzy and her mom to delve deep into Brannick lore to find a way to save her classmates from evil School Spirits  in this new series by the author of Hex Hall.  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com)

The Testing, by Joelle Charbonneau (book review) – keep friends close, enemies closer?

Jun2

book cover of The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau published by Houghton MifflinFor a chance at your dream, how far would you go?
What would you sacrifice?
How much can you give without giving up who you are?

This dystopian novel of trials and trust, peril and personal integrity, desperation and death is not a Hunger Games knockoff, by any means.

Testing completely done in secret, candidates’ minds wiped after they fail or succeed, the lucky ones who get into Tosu University will be assigned to other colonies and never see their families again.

Gotta be glad that the consequences of our standardized testing in the US aren’t so severe…

This is Charbonneau’s first foray into the sci-fi world and young adult books, as her previous books feature Chicago women who wind up in small towns solving mysteries, one series with inherited roller-skating rink, the other with glee club director. Glad that this is the first in a trilogy, as I can’t wait to see what happens after the candidates get to the university.

Tor.com shares a short prequel to the story, to tide you over until publication day on Tuesday, June 4.

So, how do you decide who to trust?
**kmm

Book info: The Testing (Testing, book 1) / Joelle Charbonneau.  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Books, 2013.  [author site]  [publisher site]  [book trailer]

My book talk: Of course, Cia longs for a chance to attend the University! But to pass the Testing, she must be willing to do anything and to trust no one… not even her first love. The stakes are high – the dangers are too numerous to count.

All the scientists, teachers, and leaders of the cataclysm-torn United Commonwealth have passed The Testing and succeeded at Tosu University. When graduation day closes with no word from the capital, Cia thinks she’s stuck working on tractors in Five Lakes Colony forever. But the next day brings a Tosu official who tells Cia, Tomas, Malachi, and Zandri that they will leave for the Testing in the morning!

As her family and friends celebrate, Cia’s father tells of his recurring nightmares from his Testing time and  warns her to trust no one. From the moment they leave Five Lakes, everything is part of the Testing. There are only 20 openings at the University and over 150 Testing this year. Coming from her collaborative community, the 16-year-old thinks Dad is exaggerating, until another Testing candidate tries to poison her before the first exams begin!

The academic exams are hard, the practical and cooperative exams are harder, with more and more students failing each level. Phase 3 drops the remaining candidates into a city shattered by war, instructing them to return to Tosu City through hundreds of miles of disaster-blasted territory, equipped only with a few survival supplies and their wits. They can make alliances if they wish, but still only 20 will be allowed into the University… if that many survive.

Has Cia chosen the right equipment for the journey?
Can she locate Tomas near the drop-point?
Is she right to trust the boy she’s known and loved all her life – or is her father right?

First in a series set in a future United States trying to rebuild itself after nuclear war and worldwide geologic shifts, The Testing  asks whether being truly human is more than just surviving at any cost.  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com) Review copy through NetGalley and cover image both courtesy of the publisher.

Read with your ears! Free audiobook downloads all summer with SYNC

Jun1

SYNC summer YA audiobooks logoWoo-hoo! Summer is finally here!
time for road trips, new jobs,
Wordcount Blogathon,
lazy days by the pool…
so “read with your ears” while you work or relax – for free!

The popular SYNC program returns this summer with free audiobooks of YA and classic books, so you can read with your ears at your computer, on your phone, or with any other enabled electronic device.

Once you’ve downloaded a SYNC audiobook, it’s yours to keep and listen to for as long as you like!

There is a catch, of course – each pair of audiobooks is only downloadable for 7 days (Thursday through Wednesday).  I’ll remind you of each title pair and the SYNC download site weekly, but you can also have the program send you alerts by email (sign up on the SYNC site) or by text message by texting syncya to 25827 (standard message rates and fees apply).

Our first free pair of books take us to the stormy sea – download them before 11:59 pm US Eastern time on Wed, June 5th!

CD cover of Of Poseidon audiobookCD cover of The Tempest audiobook by BBC RadioMay 30 – June 5, 2013
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks, read by Rebecca Gibel (AudioGO)
The Tempest by William Shakespeare, read by a Full Cast, with music (AudioGO)

You’ll note several BooksYALove favorites on the line-up for SYNC Summer 2013 below – the link to my no-spoilers recommendation appears after those.

So get ready to read with your ears, all summer long! Which SYNC audiobook are you looking forward to most?
**kmm

June 6 – June 12, 2013
The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place, Book 1: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood, read by Katherine Kellgren (HarperAudio)
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, read by Wanda McCaddon (Tantor Audio)

June 13 – June 19, 2013
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, read by Will Patton (Scholastic Audiobooks)
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, read by Robert Ramirez (Recorded Books)

June 20 – June 26, 2013
Once by Morris Gleitzman, read by Morris Gleitzman (Bolinda Audio)
Letter From Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr., read by Dion Graham (christianaudio)

June 27 – July 3, 2013
Rotters by Daniel Kraus, read by Kirby Heyborne (Listening Library)
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, read by Jim Weiss (Listening Library)

July 4 – July 10, 2013
Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford, read by Nick Podehl (Brilliance Audio)
She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith, read by a Full Cast (L.A. Theatre Works)

July 11 – July 17, 2013
The Peculiar by Stefan Bachmann, read by Peter Altschuler (HarperAudio)
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, read by Simon Vance (Tantor Audio)

July 18 – July 24, 2013
Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers, read by Erin Moon (Recorded Books) – my recommendation here
Hamlet by William Shakespeare, read by a Full Cast (L.A. Theatre Works)

July 25 – July 31, 2013
The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen, read by Charlie McWade (Scholastic Audiobooks) – my recommendation here
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain, read by Steve West (Blackstone Audio)

Aug 1 – Aug 7, 2013
Death Cloud by Andrew Lane, read by Dan Weyman (Macmillan Audio) – my recommendation here
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, read by Ralph Cosham (Blackstone Audio)

Aug 8 – Aug 14, 2013
Enchanted by Alethea Kontis, read by Katherine Kellgren (Brilliance Audio) – my recommendation here
Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, read by Miriam Margolyes (Bolinda Audio)

Aug 15 – Aug 21, 2013
Sold by Patricia McCormick, read by Justine Eyre (Tantor Audio)
Let Me Stand Alone by Rachel Corrie, read by Tavia Gilbert (Blackstone Audio)

Blogathon2013 on the horizon; TBR2012 rolls on

May31
Phillip Martin cartoon of girl lying down with book

image (c) Phillip Martin

The merry month of May…
reading, writing, reading,
slow progress on TBR2012 shelf,
WordCount Blogathon2013 dead ahead!

Oh, I recommended plenty of books in May, but only 2 from my to-be-reviewed shelf had publication dates of 2012 or earlier:

Renegade Magic, by Stephanie Burgis
Arm of the Starfish, by Madeleine L’Engle

So totaled with my January, February, March, and April TBR2012 Challenge title lists, that makes 46 pre-2013 books that I’ve offered for your consideration this year (just click on the link to get to that month’s wrap-up post with titles and links to my recommendations; each opens in new tab/window).

Now, I’m poised to take on the blog-every-day-of-June-challenge of WordCount Blogathon2013! (remember, if you sign up by 11 pm EDT/8 pm PDT today and blog each day in June, you’re eligible for nifty prizes)

I plan to take full advantage of the traditional Blogathon days for haiku, word clouds, “my top five” and at least one guest blogger, as well as sending a guest post to another Blogathonner’s blog or two. Even with those special days counted in, that still means over two dozen new books will be recommended for you in June as I #blog2013!

During the summer, I will be joining many librarians and teachers in trying to read a #bookaday (thank goodness I also review picture books for www.abookandahug.com!), Tweeting my progress @BooksYALove. Since I read fast and write with due deliberation, there may be quite a gap between my #bookaday tweet and its appearance here on BooksYALove. If you spot a title that you can’t wait to hear more about, give me a holler here, and I’ll try to move its recommendation post up the calendar.

Of course, not every book I read makes the cut for BooksYALove – only the best are good enough for YA readers to spend their time and money on, in my opinion.

So, what will you be reading and writing this summer??
**kmm

Image of reader lying down copyrighted by and courtesy of Phillip Martin http://reading.phillipmartin.info/la_reading_comprehension.htm

Arm of the Starfish, by Madeleine L’Engle (book review) – regeneration research, bad guys, international plot

May29

book cover of Arm of the Starfish by Madeleine L'Engle published by Square FishResearch with an “interesting” new development,
Remote island lab closed to outsiders,
Whispers of miracles or perhaps monsters…

Adam will have to rely on his own wits and instincts during this summer of 1965, when an amazing opportunity to assist with cutting-edge regeneration research lands him right in the middle of medical espionage, undercover agents, and foreign country misunderstandings.

Written as a near-future story in 1965, The Arm of the Starfish  reads almost like alternate history today, as events in Dr. O’Keefe’s island lab blur the line between science fiction and mysticism, with Adam having to decide whether to believe young Poly O’Keefe or beautiful Kali Cutter about the researcher’s true intentions.

You’ll find this classic beginning to the O’Keefe family stories at local library or independent bookstore in the new Square Fish edition. And, yes, the O’Keefes are related to the Murry family you know from A Wrinkle in Time.

How far should research take us toward a future with no limits on life?
**kmm

Book info: The Arm of the Starfish / Madeleine L’Engle. Square Fish, 2011 (originally published in 1965 by Farrar Straus Giroux).  [author site]  [publisher site]

My book talk: Adam’s summer job as research assistant to a noted marine biologist on a Mediterranean island is a dream come true – until he’s blamed for a young girl’s disappearance from his flight, chased through Lisbon by thugs, and drawn into a secret with international implications.

Unusual for his professor-mentor to send a recent high school graduate to assist Dr. O’Keefe with starfish regeneration experiments. Unusual that beautiful Kali warns him that O’Keefe and his associate Canon Tallis are not what they seem when she meets Adam for the very first time.

Diverted to Madrid by fog, Adam worries that he’ll miss his connection in Lisbon, but Canon Tallis assures him that they’ll wait, especially as O’Keefe’s preteen daughter Poly is on this same plane.  But when Poly goes into the airplane lavatory and doesn’t return, the flight crew tells Adam she was never aboard!

Dr. O’Keefe himself meets Adam at the airport, telling him that Poly has been kidnapped by someone wanting his research results. Before they can get to the boat for Gaea, Adam is chased and shot at, lied to, brought up-to-date on espionage, and sworn to secrecy.

How can they get Poly back safely?
What is so important about this starfish research?
Which side is Kali really on?

Science and mystical forces weave together in a 1965 outside of our history books on this island paradise where family and community must guard against mercenaries and greed. First of the O’Keefe family stories by A Wrinkle in Time  author Madeleine L’Engle, The Arm of the Starfish  is followed by Dragons in the Waters.  (One of 6,000 books recommended on www.abookandahug.com) Review copy and cover image courtesy of the publisher.